The French brand Pébéo offers the range of acrylic paints for leather: Setacolor Cuir Leather. A complete range specially designed for application on leather. It allows you to customize or recolor shoes (sneakers), personalize your leather creations or repair your leather accessories.
High-quality paints that are resistant to scratches, creasing, and rubbing. They have excellent coverage.
Complete range:
- 23 matte-satin colors
- 12 effect colors (metallic, glitter, fluorescent, phosphorescent, and duochrome)
- 10 markers with an extra-fine tip
- 6 auxiliaries dedicated to the preparation, creation, and protection of your creations
As indicated on the brand's website, the range's resistance has been tested by a test protocol based on 100,000 folds, as well as a wet rub resistance test after 200 cycles according to ISO 11998, showing that the SETACOLOR CUIR range is 3 times more resistant than market standards. Today, what differentiates it from the American Angelus paint is its range of complementary shades, but also its additional products (e.g., markers and masking fluid). Nevertheless, we recommend Angelus paint for sneaker customization as it has already proven itself among professionals.
3 essential steps for using Pébéo paint: prepare, paint, and protect.
Step 1: Prepare and degrease the leather
Start by preparing your leather surface with a degreasing primer or deglazer. This helps to degrease it and also remove any varnish and protective layer that may cover the grain of the leather. The surface will then be completely clean and adherent for paint application.
Apply the product to the entire leather surface with a clean (cotton) cloth.
Step 2: Paint the leather
Now that the surface is ready, apply the paint in thin coats with clean brushes and let it dry between each coat.
We will present each product in the range and their effects.
Small tips:
- Shake paint pots well before use.
- Use the paint pot caps to dip the brush into the colors without getting too much paint.
- Always have water and a cloth nearby to clean brushes between each color.
Matte-satin paints
Matte-satin paints with unique and modern colors. Uniform and opaque finish in a maximum of 3 thin coats. Apply with a brush of varying width depending on your needs.
The colors are intermixable, allowing you to create an infinite number of colors and gradient tones.
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Drawing by ©artclay_in_wonderland
Glitter paints
3 glitter colors: silver, gold, and iridescent. They can be used transparently on the surface or worked on a colored base.
Depending on the desired effect, apply more or fewer coats. 1 coat for a few glitters, 3 coats for a completely opaque finish.
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Fluorescent paints
2 fluorescent paint colors: fluorescent yellow and fluorescent pink. These colors are also available as markers. These paints are best used on lighter leathers for optimal results.
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Metallic paints
3 metallic paint colors: gold, bronze, and silver. The color intensifies as it dries and is opaque after two coats. These paints are best used on darker leathers for optimal results.
Duochrome paints
Paints with colors that change depending on movement and light angle. 3 color duos: pink/blue, blue/green, and yellow/purple. The effect is more intense on dark leathers. Apply a black primer if the leather is lighter.
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Phosphorescent paint
This paint glows in the dark and is applied in a thick layer. For best results, apply it to a dark surface. The paint needs to be exposed to light beforehand to best reveal its phosphorescent effect once it's in the dark.
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Markers
Pébéo innovation: fine-tip leather markers! This marker is ideal for writing and drawing small details. It comes in 10 different shades (these are the same shades as the paints available in pots).
Prime the tip by pressing the pen; do not press too hard or for too long. The paint flow will depend on the pressure you apply to the tip (for finer or thicker lines - this requires some practice). The tip may get clogged, but it's easy to replace (see video).
Creation by Tiphanie @artclay_in_wonderland with Pébéo leather markers:
Auxiliaries
Auxiliaries are products that allow for different types of creation in conjunction with paint.
- GLUE: for gluing various materials (cotton, leather, polyester, beads, powder, etc.) onto leather.
- LIGHTENING THINNER: to thin, lighten paint, and for airbrush application. The paint becomes slightly lighter and more transparent without losing quality.
For airbrush application, dilute the paint with the thinner until it has the consistency of milk (approximately 50% thinner and 50% paint).
Focus on airbrush painting:
Feel free to consult our comprehensive guide on leather dyeing, with a focus on airbrush leather dyeing.
- MASKING GUM: create reserved areas for drawing or writing.
Focus on masking fluid
Apply it in 2 thick coats. It dries quickly. Once dry (to the touch), apply the paint over it, then peel off the masking gum simply with your fingers or a clean eraser. The gum must be removed within 15 days of its application.
Be careful, after applying the masking fluid, it is very difficult to clean the brush completely.
Step 3: Protect the leather
After a 24-hour drying time for the paint, it's time to apply protection. Varnishes protect the leather creation from rubbing, scratches, and wear.
Two varnishes are available: a satin matte varnish and a gloss varnish.
Mix well before applying the product in a thin coat. Also apply to glitter paints. Varnishes can be used with an airbrush.
Inspirations for those who can't draw
Not a great artist? Here are some tips:
- Drawing with tracing paper
Print designs/patterns on tracing paper, then transfer the design onto vegetable-tanned leather with a stylus. Wet the leather before reproducing the pattern.
Then, with paint, fill in the pattern or outline it. Use a Pébéo marker for greater precision.
Download our pattern sheet for free here (to print on tracing paper):
DOWNLOAD PATTERNS >
- Stamping with leather stamps
Use leather stamps to mark a pattern on vegetable-tanned leather. Then, paint the inside of the pattern.
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- Alphabet stamping
Use alphabet stamps to write a word or phrase on vegetable-tanned leather. Then, paint the inside of the letters. Use a Pébéo marker for greater precision.
Focus on marbling paint
Pébéo offers a thickening bath for marbling. Pébéo paints are compatible with this technique. To learn more, feel free to consult our guide on marbling paint.
Recap of the Pébéo event at Deco Cuir store
Tiphanie from ©artclay_in_wonderland came to give a full demonstration of the Pébéo paint range at the Deco Cuir store.
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